Since 1985, the lawyers at Shapiro & Appleton have dedicated their practice to helping people when they need it most. Our clients are usually down and out after a serious accident, struggling financially, physically, and emotionally. We take pride in advocating for the downtrodden and injured and getting the financial restitution they are owed.

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Use of Sleeping Pills Increases Car Crash Risk

Americans are exhausted. According to the Institute of Medicine, between 50 to 60 million people in this country suffer from some type of sleep disorder or sleep-deprivation. The recommended number of hours per sleep required for adults is between seven and nine hours per night, but more than one-third of American adults get less than that every night. About nine million of them take sleeping pills in their quest for a good night’s sleep, but that activity – according to a recent study – raises their risk of being in a car accident. In fact, the risk is as high as drinking too much alcohol and getting behind the wheel of a car.

The three most popular prescribed sleeping aids are sold under the brand names of Ambien, Oleptro, and Restoril. The study research team found that drivers who took Restoril had a 27 percent higher chance of being in a vehicle accident than a driver not taking sleeping pills. Those who took Oleptro had a 91 percent higher chance of being in a car crash. Those drivers who used Ambien more than doubled their risk of being in a car accident.

Ambien may cause dangerous side-effects for users, such as sleep-walking and participating in activities without memory of their actions. One of the common activities is driving their vehicles, but not having any recollection of doing so when they wake up.

One of the main issues with taking sleeping pills is that the drug causes the user to still feel drowsy even after the sedative is supposed to have worn off. There is also evidence that these drugs have an accumulative effect on users, and the problem becomes worse the longer the person uses sleeping pills to fall asleep.

If you have been injured in a car crash caused by a drowsy driver, contact an experienced Virginia personal injury attorney to find out what your legal options may be against the other driver for pain and loss you have suffered from those injuries.